In Praise of the Russian Left-Back

Antoine Griezmann Not So Keen On Manchester United Move

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has supposedly hinted that he is not keen on a move to Manchester United during this summer’s transfer window. The France international came close to reuniting with compatriot Paul Pogba at Old Trafford last summer, before making a surprise U-turn owing to Atletico’s transfer ban being upheld.

The Spanish outfit have since been allowed to sign players during the 2018 winter transfer window, and Griezmann has now suggested that he wants to resolve his future ahead of the World Cup in Russia, he said: “My future will be decided before the World Cup, I want to go to Russia with a clear mind, I think that’s what everybody wants, it’s not so much the question of where I’ll play, which may be boring, but about having the peace of mind if I’m still in one place or another.”

United have been one of the clubs once again linked with his services, but in an interview with teammate Pogba, he hinted that he may favour a switch to the Theatre of Dreams. Griezmann admitted that he enjoys playing alongside his compatriot, but that does not mean that he would prefer to join the Red Devils, he said on Canal+: “It would be nice. But beware, that doesn’t mean I want to go to Manchester United.”

In the same period, Griezmann has been associated with a potential switch to arch-rivals Barcelona. The Catalan giants are said to have already held informal negotiations with the player’s family, and according to Sport, Griezmann may take a pay-cut, with the promise of incentives, in order to realise his move to Camp Nou during the summer.

Griezmann, now 27, has yet to win anything significant during his time with Atletico Madrid, and he will be desperately to end the season on a high, by helping the club to Europa League success. The Spaniards are favourites for the competition with Arsenal, Lazio, and RB Leipzig, the other sides who may pose a threat. Atleti have a double-legged quarter-final tie against Sporting next month.